Credit: Photo by John Anderson

Tâm Deli & Cafe

8222 N. Lamar Ste. D-33, 834-6458
Wednesday-Monday, 10am-8pm
Credit: Photo by John Anderson

Started by sisters Tâm Bui and Tran Ngoc in 1999, this lively Vietnamese cafe/bakery is the barometer by which most of Austin’s bánh mì gets measured. It has a full menu of Vietnamese dishes and a tempting bakery counter (see “Restaurant Reviews,” Nov. 19, 2004).

Tâm does not bake its own bread: “We have a secret source for our all-wheat bread, and it’s in the style that all of the Vietnamese people prefer; it’s made like the real bánh mì in Vietnam,” says Ms. Bui. Tâm has the most options of all: 17 different variations, ranging in price from $3.75 to $5.49. We sampled the combination ($3.99, with pâté, pork loaf, and chicken), grilled lemongrass beef ($4.99, loaded with spicy flavor), and char-grilled pork ($4.75, porcine perfection). All were larger than most, plump with fillings, and superb on every level. For those new to the bánh mì game, this is the ideal spot to start your discovery.

This article appears in October 10 • 2008.

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Mick Vann is a retired Austin chef who is a food writer and restaurant critic, cookbook author, restaurant consultant, and recipe developer. He moonlights as a University of Texas horticulturist with a propensity for ethnic eats and international food, particularly of the Asian persuasion, but he also knows his way around a plate of soul food or barbecue.